Back Belintaş Azerbaijani Белинташ Bulgarian Белинташ Macedonian Belintasj Dutch Belintasz Polish Белинташ Russian Белинташ Serbian Белінташ Ukrainian
Белинташ | |
 A view from Belintash | |
  Shown within Bulgaria | |
| Location | Asenovgrad, Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°51′00″N 24°58′6″E / 41.85000°N 24.96833°E |
| Type | Rock sanctuary |
| Area | 2.3 ha |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | free |
Belintash (Bulgarian: Белинташ, pronounced as Belantash and Belǎntash in some local Bulgarian dialects) is a small plateau in the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria bearing traces of human activity. It is assumed that this is a cult site of the ancient Thracian[citation needed], though the very essence and purpose are not yet fully understood. There are also suggestions that the sanctuary was dedicated to the god Sabazios (Ancient Greek: Σαβάζιος) built and operated by the independent Thracian tribe Bessi[citation needed]. The upper platform of the plateau is marked with carved round holes, trails, niches and steps that some researches interpret as stellar map[citation needed]. It is claimed by some Bulgarian media that in 2006, anonymous tourists had discovered the so-called "Inscription of Belintash" - a petroglyph carved into the rocks, which according to some theorists, confirm that the Thracians had their own alphabet that pre-dates Greek alphabet[citation needed]. However, the authenticity of the petroglyph has not yet been confirmed or denied by archaeologists working on the site of Belintash.